The Dime Notes

Viper Swing\nEdinburgh-based Viper Swing plays hot string jazz: infectious rhythms, joyful improvisations, and gravelly vocals blend to evoke the swing-era spirit of the 1920s, 30s, and 40s. Whether on a festival stage or at an intimate cocktail reception, the band sets toes to tapping, hips to swaying, and hearts to singing. Years of dedication and consummate artistry shine through every note they play. Their repertoire includes works of the legendary gypsy jazz guitarist Django Reinhardt, songs from the Great American Songbook, and original compositions—along with swing arrangements of modern pop songs (Michael Jackson, Abba, and Daft Punk, to name a few).\nThe Dime Notes\nThe Dime Notes dig back into the blues-drenched sounds of clarinet-driven 1920s New Orleans jazz, unearthing a repertoire of stomps, blueses, and forgotten gems of the era from musicians such as Johnny Dodds, Jelly Roll Morton and Red Nichols.\nThe band grew out of a duo project with Chris Barber’s long-time clarinetist David Horniblow and American pianist Andrew Oliver, who arrived in London in 2013 and met David at a gig. They got together to play some Jelly Roll Morton tunes and began a weekly residency at an east London cocktail bar, working on a repertoire of obscure 1920s tunes.\nAfter a year or so, the duo expanded with the addition of the unstoppable pulse of London’s finest rhythm guitarist Dave Kelbie and young bassist Tom Wheatley, who added a new dimension and depth to the band, which quickly became popular both at clubs and swing dances in London.\nThe Dime Notes present a fresh take on a timeless style, emphasising the propulsive grooves and sultry melodies which made early jazz revolutionary, controversial, and wildly popular.